The Dandelion
by Vyshonoui
Summary: This is an expansion of Mockingjay's ending. How I imagined the summarized events took place and ending before the epilogue. It was brought to my attention that a chapter repeated itself, I have fixed the issue and the story ending should now make since.
1. Chapter 1

"Is that really Buttercup?" Asks Greasy Sae dumping the dirty breakfast dishes in the sink and turning on the hot water.

"Yeah, he must have found his way back here from 13 by himself" I respond as I throw the last of the bacon between his front paws.

"He must really love her" Greasy Sae answers as she begins scrubbing the pans. I look down at the cat licking the last of the grease off of his paws. Thoughts of Prim and Buttercup start to flood my mind. The nights in our old house here in 12, her face when I brought her to him in13 and the nights we spent in the bunker. Not something I want to think about in front of company. I scoot back from the table and head for the front door.

I hear the scrape of another chair and hear Peeta calling me. "Katniss! Wait!" I keep heading for the door, suddenly the house seems too stuffy and I need air. Peeta catches up to me just as I step on to the porch and inhale a deep breath. "Sae didn't say that to upset you."

I exhale and watch the breeze ruffle the new primrose bushes Peeta planted the day before. "I know she didn't. I just… It's just…" I step down onto the top stair and sit down on the porch. My shoulders slump forward, smooth back my hair and rest my chin on my knuckles.

Peeta steps down and sits next to me. "Trust me. I know the feeling."

We sit there; staring at the deserted road and listen to the workers in what is left of the town load the wheelbarrows. Haymitch's geese wander between the houses searching for food. After a few minutes pass I hear Greasy Sae let herself out that back, as I see her come around the house, heading towards the workers in town, Peeta nudges a rock off the stairs with his foot. "Dr. Aurelius called last night. He told me something. And like what most of what he says, I didn't think it was of any consequence, but…I don't know…maybe you will." As he says this, he stands and steps down the remaining stairs, turning to face me. I look up, meeting his eyes. They dart away quickly, and then meet mine again. "He said. Things will get better".

With that he looks down at the ground again, turns away from me and starts towards his house. I watch him as he strides up the porch and enters his house without looking back. I continue to sit there staring at Peeta's house, his words bouncing around in my head; I stand, turn and go back into the house, slamming the door in the process.


	2. Chapter 2

I stand inside the doorway, staring down the hallway. Things will get better? Really? How is that suppose to help me? I march down the hallway into the living room and throw myself on to the sofa. Buttercup is asleep in his basket across the room, purring. I look at the wall. Peeta's words replay in my head. Things will get better… Things will get better.

The memories of the pain and suffering I've endured play in my thoughts. How are they going to get better? Prim is dead. Finnick is dead. Gale is gone. My mother is gone. I'm stuck here with Haymitch, who is drunk all the time. I have nightmares every night. Peeta was hijacked and now barely speaks to me... They can't get much worse.

I continue to sit there staring at the wall, my mind wandering. I think about my life before Snow and Coin's death, before the uprising, before becoming the Mockingjay, before the Hunger Games, before the reaping. My life has changed so much. That morning in the woods with Gale before Prim's name was called seems as if it was a lifetime ago. I think about Gale. I miss him. I know it was his and Beetee's idea for those bombs that killed Prim, but was it really his fault?

The inner monolog makes my head start to ache. I turn and lie down on the couch and watch Buttercup's chest move up and down as he sleeps, concentrating on it until I drift off to sleep.

I awake with a start, Buttercup is yowling from the kitchen. I stand up slowly, stretching my muscles as I go. "I'm coming…" I open the back door and Buttercup scurries down the steps and into the tall grass behind the house.

I shut the door and walk back through the kitchen, unsure what I should do now that I've spent most of the day sleeping. I pour myself a glass of water and wander into the living room again, this time looking out the front window.

The sun is hanging low; the sky is beginning to color beautiful shades of golden orange. My eyes wander back towards the earth and I notice Peeta standing in the middle of an overturned plot of land next to his house, dropping handfuls of something on the ground as he walks down a row of overturned dirt.

I stand in the window watching him as he continues dropping the seeds into the earth. I can see the fading light glisten off his sweaty brow. As he reaches the end of the row he turns back to face the row he had just seeded. Abruptly he takes off jogging back down the row waving his arms and cursing. My eyes follow his course. At the beginning of the row, Haymitch's geese are huddled together eagerly pecking up Peeta's seeds.

Peeta continues yelling and waving his arms wildly at the geese as they run back towards Haymitch's house honking and tooting, frustrated that their dinner plans have been thwarted.

I begin to giggle at the ridiculous scene that had just taken place, when Peeta stops suddenly and looks directly towards at my house.

I realize he must see me and I panic. Ducking behind the wall, breathing hard, I pause for a moment, thinking, who cares if he saw me. I've done nothing wrong.

Suddenly there is a knock at the door. The panic sets in again. Peeta's come to confront me for spying on him.

I take a second to collect myself. Not wanting Peeta to see me fretting over something so childish. As I reach the door there is a second knock, this time harder and irritated. I hear low voices conversing behind the door. "Who is Peeta talking too?" I wonder to myself.

I unbolt the heavy wooden door and pull it open, but instead of Peeta, I observe two men clothed in the gray jumpsuits of District 13 personnel. The first jumpsuit looks me up and down before holding out a white envelope with the words 'Katniss Everdeen' scribbled across the front.

"Katniss, I have a letter for you." He says as I take the envelope from his hand trying to decipher the handwriting. "There is also a message. If you object, you are to let me know before I head back to District 2 at nine tomorrow morning."

I cut in. "Object to what?" Not understanding what he is talking about.

"I don't know." He stops and clears his throat; my presence seems to make him anxious. "I mean, I don't know what the letter says or who it is from. I was just ordered to deliver it because I was coming out here today." He explains. "Then if you respond, I am to relay your message to my supervisor, who will see that it is conveyed to the concerned party."

The men then start down the stairs. Halting at the base, the first turns back towards me. "You can find me at the administration tent near the rubble of the Justice building." He motions towards the large tent that has been erected in the middle of the old courtyard. If you want to send a reply, find me there before 9:00 AM tomorrow."

The two turn and stride back towards town. I look down at the envelope in my hands, then towards Peeta's house. He is standing in his garden watching what has taken place, but looks away quickly and attempts to busy himself as I look his direction.

I step back into the foyer, closing the door. I again examine the envelope in my hands. Part of me wants to rip it open immediately to see who it is from. But the other part of me is afraid of who it could be from, or what it could say. I shuffle into the kitchen and sit down at the table, turning the envelope in circles in my hands working up the courage to open it.

After a few minutes I stop. Thinking to myself. " I have survived not one, but two Hunger Games. What could this letter hold for me that would be worse than that?"

I tear open the envelope and pull out the folded paper. Inhaling deeply I unfold the paper; examining its contents. The handwriting is scrawled sloppily across the page; I begin reading:

Katniss,

By now I am sure that you have heard that I'm working in District 2. My family is here as well. They wanted me to tell you hello and that they are doing well here.

I have gotten a position here aiding in the restoration of the infrastructure. Most specifically the new law enforcement force the new government is calling the Mockingjays. I am sure that you are groaning at the thought.

The reason I am writing to you, is to let you know that I'll be travelling to 12 next week for a few days. I would like to see you. I had thought about calling you, but I've heard you don't been answer your phone. So I thought I'd send you this letter asking for your permission to stop by. If you would not like to see me, just let Soldier Maxwell know before he leaves and I'll get the message. But if I don't hear anything then I'll know it is okay.

Hope to see you soon.

Gale

The letter surprises me. It doesn't seem like Gale to forewarn me. It is more likely that he would just show up in my kitchen one day, but then I guess since we haven't spoken in weeks, he isn't sure how I'd react.

Gale is coming and wants to talk to me. My stomach jumps a bit in anticipation. We have barely spoken since Prim's death and in our last exchange I blamed him for her death.

That must be why he is coming; to see if I still feel that way. But I don't even know if I still feel that way. Should I just tell him not to come?

I sit at the kitchen table going back and forth. I reread the letter over and over trying to make out the slightest clue as to why exactly he wants to see me when I hear a key in the back door, the click of the lock and the scrape of the door on the frame. Alerting me that it must be dinnertime and Greasy Sae is back.

She comes into the kitchen whistling a familiar tune. As she enters, she sets a food crate holding carrots and some kind of red meat on the opposite end of the table from me, unaware of my company. She glances up, catching sight of me sitting at the table and jumps back startled. She places her hand over her heart and slowing inhales, catching her breath.

"Oh, hey, Katniss! I didn't see you sitting there. You about scared the life right out of me." She looks at the table again, seeing the folded letter and open envelope on the table, but doesn't say anything. Instead she turns grabs a knife and pulls out the mystery hunk of red meat and begins to slice it into large pieces.

I watch her slide the knife through the cut of meat for a few seconds, before picking up the letter. I shove it back into the envelope as I stand up from the table. I start for the stairs, but stop as Greasy Sae calls "Katniss?"

"Yes?" I answer over my shoulder.

"Is there any bread left from this morning? I didn't see it when I cleaned up afterwards." Greasy Sae asks as she sets aside the knife and begins to collect the chunks of meat.

"No, we ate it all" I respond.

"Oh okay." She looks back towards her work and begins to drop the meat chunks into a pot simmering on the stove. I can tell she wants to say more, but after my reaction this morning she must feel it is better to just hold her tongue.

I feel bad for how I reacted to what she had said this morning. I wasn't mad at her for what she said. It just brought up too many painful memories. I bite my lip, knowing that I am going to regret this. "I can see if Peeta has any left if you like?"

Sae looks up from her work, smiling. "If you could. There was suppose to be a shipment of food from District 11 this afternoon, but the train broke down and it has been delayed a few days. Dinner might be a little light without it."

In my head I'm screaming "no, no, no!" But I just nod my head in agreement and grit my teeth, hoping she doesn't notice. I bound up the stairs, skipping steps, just to get away before I agree to do something else unpleasant and awkward.

I step into my room, open the top drawer of my dresser and drop in Gale's letter. I'll have to think about Gale later.

I shuffle into the bathroom and glance at myself in the mirror over the sink. Little hairs have fallen out of my braid and frame my face. I inhale deeply, blowing it back out at my reflection. The air bounces off of the mirror back into my face causing the little hairs flutter. "Ok. Let's get this over with." I say to my likeness.


	3. Chapter 3

I trudge down the front steps and start for Peeta's house. I glance towards town to see the workers starting to pack up for the day. Facing back towards Peeta's house, I observe his shovel and wheelbarrow leaning up against the house. He is nowhere to be seen.

I march up Peeta's front steps and onto his porch. Stopping at the front door, I inhale a deep breath and knock loudly. I exhale and hear a muffled voice. "Come in, I'll be right there."

I push open the door and step into the foyer, glancing back into the empty kitchen, I see the flour jar sitting on the table. I turn slightly to latch the door behind me. "Peeta?" I call into the house.

I hear footsteps above me, then the sound of his boots on the stairs. I continue to stand in the foyer, fidgeting, not sure if I should come in further.

Peeta emerges from the staircase, stopping at the base; there are paint splotches on his hands and tiny drops of blue and green on the sleeves of his shirt.

"Hello Katniss." He says, judging me cautiously.

"Hello, Peeta." I give him a slight awkward smile. "Sae asked me to come over to see if you had any bread? We ate all of mine this morning and she felt dinner would be light without it." I break our gaze and look down at the floor. I see him nod, turning towards the kitchen.

The air is heavy and awkward, making me even more anxious. I suddenly blurt out. "So were you painting, just now?" I regret the words soon as they leave my lips. Of course he was painting, I feel like an idiot.

He picks up a loaf of bread from the counter, tearing it in half, as looks up at me with the same smile he wore those days in the cave during the first arena; a combination of pain, calmness with fragment of joy. "No, I was butchering a cow."

I cautiously laugh at his Haymitch style sarcasm as he hands me half of the loaf of bread. "I am sorry. It's just… I don't know what to say to you." I responded truthfully.

Peeta drops my gaze as his smile dissipates. "I know the feeling. I'm never sure what to say to you either."

I look away from him, feigning interest in something on table. We stand in silence; both of us still holding halves of the loaf of bread.

The heaviness in the room seems to have lifted some, but the awkwardness is still present. Peeta eventually sets his half back onto the counter and turns towards the stove. "I guess I should get started making my dinner." Attempting polite conversation. "I'm not sure…"

I cut in suddenly, blurting out "You can come over for dinner if you like?" Again with the speaking before thinking; all I want to do is run from the house and now I've just offered to continue this discomfort.

I pause for a moment, recovering. "I am sure that Greasy Sae has made more than enough for the two of us."

Peeta looks around the room and back towards me; apparently thinking the same thing as I am. "Do I really want to sit through this for an entire meal?" I can hear him thinking to himself, but instead he asks. "Do you think there is enough for Haymitch as well? I'm sure he'll be up soon and I doubt he's had anything other than alcohol today."

Haymitch. That is a horrible idea, I think to myself, but I don't want to trample on what little ground we've seemed to mend between us, so I agree.

"Sure. Just head over whenever." I answer. "I don't think it will be much longer now until dinner is ready." I turn and head back towards my house, breathing in the fresh air to calm my nerves a little before I am are forced to stand on edge again.


	4. Chapter 4

I set three bowls on the table as Greasy Sae is finishing the carrot and wild dog stew, when there is a knock at the door. My palms are sweating so I wipe them off on the front of my pants as I walk to the door.

I open it slowly finding only Peeta in the doorway. "Where's Haymitch?" I ask, though I'm kind of relived that he isn't here to make the situation worse.

"He didn't answer. And I didn't feel like wrestling a knife out of his hand when I woke him. So I just left." He answers as he walks in the door and heads down the hall to the kitchen.

Greasy Sae is gathering her provisions crate and waves as she heads out the back door. Leaving just the two of us alone in my kitchen.

I head over to the stove and begin to ladle out the stew as Peeta sits down at the table and begins to slice the bread. I hand him his bowl and sit down across the table from him and begin to dip my bread into the broth. We both sit at the table and quietly eat our dinner. The silence is deafening.

Upon finishing my bowl, I look over to Peeta, who is finishing the last bit of his stew. "Would you like more?" I ask.

"No thank you." He responds.

I give him an uneven smile and stand, taking our bowls. "But would you like some help with the dishes?" He sputters out.

I hadn't planned on doing them. I usually leave them for Greasy Sae in the morning, but it would at least give us something to do instead of just sitting in silence. "Sure." I agree.

I turn on the hot water and begin filling the sink as Peeta starts stacking the dirty dishes. We work together to wash and dry the dishes in silence for a few minutes.

Finally Peeta inquires. "Are you in more trouble?"

I stop scrubbing the pot, looking over at Peeta's concerned face, unsure why he would think that I would be in trouble. "No. Why?" I question.

"I just saw those guys from 13 here earlier. And I was worried…I mean, I thought that maybe Paylor and the tribunal might have decided to do something more to you. For assassinating Coin." Peeta's voice was shaky as he spoke. He really was anxious for me.

I chuckle a bit, trying to lighten the mood. "Oh. No. They were just delivering a letter to me. Nothing official like that. It was just from…" I stop short. Not sure if I should tell Peeta that it was Gale. Our current relationship seems to be hanging by a thread and even with the awkwardness between us I do miss his company and I don't want any of his assumptions about the relationship, if there is one, between Gale and me to cause him to pull away.

I look down at the pot I've been cleaning trying to sound casual. "It was from Gale."

I look back at Peeta to see his response. He is using one of the old dish towels to dry off a pan, looking at his work and nodding his head, as if in agreement. There is a twinge of pain at the corner of his eyes, but doesn't say anything.

"He says he has to come here next week for work and wants to stop by, but was worried that I might attack him or something." I say flatly looking back down at the pot as I pull it from the water and hand it to him.

His eyes dart towards me. "Would you?" He replies quickly, his expression questioning.

"No, of course not, But that doesn't mean that I want to see him either." I meet his eyes for a moment, before looking back towards the bowl I'm washing. "I'm supposed to tell one of those guys who delivered the letter if I don't want to see him." The temperature in the room feels to have risen, but simultaneously, it is a relief to tell someone instead of avoiding it.

Again Peeta just shakes his head in agreement, not saying anything. It annoys me a bit that he isn't responding.

We finish the last few dishes in silence. My head is muffled with a blur of thoughts. As Peeta sets the last pan back on its place in the rack, he turns to face me. "I'm going to go. Goodnight Katniss."

Peeta turns and heads for the door. Instantly I am furious with him. I am trying. Can't he see that? I am trying to rebuild some kind of relationship with him, yet he, who said that he would love me always, seems so disinterested.

"What?" I stammer angrily at him. He turns back to face me, puzzled. I continue, "Can't you see that I am trying here? That I am trying to…" I meet his eyes. "I don't know, at least get to a point where we could have a conversation." Though I try to hide it, I know the hurt is displayed across my face.

"You're being so cold. I know that you have been through a lot after two arenas and being hijacked and tortured, but…" I don't know what else to say. Avoidance is usually my style when it comes to my emotions; so this confrontation has me feel very out of my element and vulnerable. Two things that I hate.

Peeta's face goes from astonishment to anger at my outburst. "What do you want from me?" He yells. "Do you even know? I've looked back at things, trying to figure out what of your behavior was real and what was a strategy for the games and for your survival. But I can't tell the difference. Which makes me think that you never felt anything for me… That I was just a player in your Games." He takes a step towards me, his hand pointing threateningly at my chest.

"There was obviously something between you and Gale." He continues, his voice still raised. "And now you want to confide in me about your issues with him. What am I suppose to say? Tell me what you want to say."

He looks past me at the wall, taking a deep breath. He exhales, his voice leveled, "Until you know what it is that you want. I can't be there for you anymore." His eyes soften; I can tell his heart is aching. "I can't let you back in only to have my heart crushed again. I'm sorry Katniss." Peeta turns and leaves the house, quietly pulling the door shut behind him.


	5. Chapter 5

I wake lying on my stomach across my bed in the same clothes I wore yesterday. After the astonishment of Peeta's speech wore off and I was able to move again. I had come upstairs and laid across my bed staring at the wall, his angry words bouncing around my head. At some point I must have finally fallen asleep.

I roll onto my back, my muscles ache and I feel as though I had had no sleep. I had a new nightmare last night. Instead of Clove sitting on my chest; slowly cutting my face at the feast during the first arena, it was Peeta. He had the same vicious expression that he had had last night.

I sit up with a groan and look out the window. The sun is softly beaming over the horizon. Then it hits me, after Peeta's revelation last night I was so preoccupied, that I have yet to make a decision on Gale's purposed visit.

I stand, stretching my aching muscles. I strip off yesterday's clothes and get into the shower. I turn the water as hot as I can stand; hoping it will relax my sore muscles. I stand there under the stream of water, letting the warm drops roll down my back as I consider my options.

I could tell Gale no and possibly never see or hear from him again. And though I don't want to go through another uncomfortable conversation; the thought of being cut off from Gale forever causes a knots in my stomach.

I could allow him to come. And just go hunting in the woods all day. But that would just cause him to come looking for me. More likely making the situation worse by angering him.

Lastly, I could just let Gale come. Let him say his peace and get it over it. If I want to keep some kind of relationship with Gale, we are going to have to hash out things at some point. I might as well just get it over with.

I turn off the water, wrap myself in a towel and cross into my bedroom. I pull out some clothes to wear and begin to dress. Having made my decision about Gale, I decide to go hunting. Greasy Sae complained last night about being light on foodstuffs, so I might as well do something to help out.

I trudge down the stairs into the kitchen and find a skillet of potatoes and some kind of sausage on the stove. A loaf of bread wrapped in cloth sits on the table. Peeta must have just left it on the porch for Greasy Sae to find when she came in, obviously not wanting to see me after our confrontation last night.

I scarf down my breakfast, barely tasting it. I toss my plate into the sink and grab my bow, quiver and a slice of bread as I head out the door. Peeta is in his garden dropping seeds into a newly turned row; this time Haymitch's geese are nowhere to be seen. I turn the opposite direction and head for town.

As I cross the opposite side of the courtyard from the administration tent, I see the messenger, Maxwell, emerging, looking straight in my direction. I just give him a curt nod and continue towards the meadow.

As I cross the rock that Gale and I use to meet at, I remember those mornings and a smile crosses my lips. I stop and look out at the forest valley before me. Those days seem like so many decades ago. I look down at my boots take a deep breath and get to work.

Returning from my day in the woods, I enter my house through the kitchen door to find Greasy Sae standing at the stove talking. She stops mid sentence as I hold up the string of rabbits and squirrels I'd caught.

She smiles appreciatively as I start "I also brought you some dandelion greens, wild strawberries and…" I stop short. Gale is sitting at the table grinning at my surprise. I feel my eyes go wide. "What are you doing here?" Coming across a little more annoyed than I intend.

"Hi to you too, Catnip." He fakes a look of astonishment and continues. "I sent you a letter, Maxwell said that you nodded to him that it was okay this morning. So when I was asked if I could come earlier, I did."

"Oh." My brain is a flutter of activity. I thought I would have more time to prepare myself before his arrival. I stand there, frozen and silent for a few moments, my eyes darting everywhere around the room except at Gale.

Finally Greasy Sae breaks the silence, "Here let me take those." She says as she reaches for my bag and string of animals. I her take them as she begins to speak again. "Your dinner is ready whenever. I'll be back in the morning." She quickly slides out the back; apparently not wishing to be here to witness whatever carnage may take place.

I look over at Gale, picking at something on the table. I turn towards the counter and grab two plates, dividing up the mixture of greens and a greasy white meat. This must be why I didn't see Haymitch's geese in Peeta's garden this morning.

I scoot Gale's plate across the table towards him and sit down. My stomach is in knots and the thought of eating isn't improving the feeling. Picking up my fork, I start pushing around my food, refusing to look in Gale's direction.

Gale takes a mouthful, chews slowing; he glances at me as he swallows. "Odd to say, but I've actually missed Greasy Sae's cooking." His eyes slowly look towards his dinner, then back towards me. "The food in 2 is just as bad as the food was in 13."

He watches me for a few moments, hoping that I will respond, but I just continue pushing my food around with my fork. Gale studies me carefully then tries again to make conversation. "So you had good luck in the woods today I see. I miss that…hunting I mean. Not much downtime with training the new force."

I still don't answer him. So many thoughts are running through my head. Prim. The avalanche of dirt and rock sliding down the side of the Nut. The times that Gale kissed me.

Finally I meet his grey eyes; a look of irritation crosses his face. "I thought you said that it was okay if I came. If you didn't want to talk to me you should have just said no." He stands and continues, "If you're just going to sit there and ignore me, I'll just go."

Gale turns, starting for the door. "No! Wait!" I call after him.

He turns to face me as I start. "I'm sorry. I just wasn't expecting you. You caught me off guard. I…I want to talk to you…I just… I'm just not sure what it is that I want to say. I was expecting to have a few days to figure that out. Before I come home and find you've appeared in my kitchen." I stammer out.

Gale crosses back to his chair. "Okay." He sits back down and starts to eat again, this time waiting for me to start the conversation.

I take a few moments to collect myself and my thoughts before I start. "I'm sorry about what I said while we were in the Capitol. About it being your fault that Prim was killed. Even if you had planned for those bombs to kill those kids, you wouldn't have known that Prim was going to be there." I begin to explain.

I take a deep breath to continue when Gale cuts in, "I didn't know that that those bombs were going to be used on kids, neither did Beetee." His eyes look past me as he remembers the gruesomeness of that day. "We would never have designed them if we had. We developed the bombs to be dropped inside the Presidential Palace's courtyard." I can see the grief of Prim's murder across his face and I know in my heart that he is telling the truth.

I look at my plate before I start again. "I think it was wrong of you to cause that avalanche. It could have killed people that otherwise might not have resisted especially if you had employed other means." I stop waiting for his reply.

"You may be right, but at the time and even now I still don't know of another way we could have, without risking too many of our own forces in the process. While I regret that decision, I don't think that any of the alternatives would have been better." He looks straight into my eyes. My anxiousness overwhelms me. I look away, through the door, into the living room and out the window. The sun has set. There is a glow on the street as the light escapes from the windows of Peeta and Haymitch's houses.

A few minutes pass as I stare out the window, lost in my own thoughts. I don't want to discuss the next part. I'm hoping that I can think of a way to avoid it all together. Then suddenly I am brought back to reality by the sound of Gale's voice.

"Katniss? Katniss?" He calls to me, a puzzled look on his face. I shake my head trying to clear my thoughts. "Is that everything?" He asks.

"Yeah…yeah. That's everything." I stutter, looking away from his gaze.

"There isn't anything else?" He responds.

I shake my head no.

"Are you sure?" Gale questions again. He and I both know that I am lying.

"Yes, I'm sure." I answer, looking back at him, hoping, willing him to believing me.

"Okay…" Gale looks away.

He seems a little deflated, but gathering his courage, he turns to me and begins. "There is something I would like to ask you." The terror boils up inside me, but I keep my face calm.

"Was Peeta all just a strategy?" He asks. I refuse to look at him.

Of course this is what he wants to know. Now twice in twenty-four hours I am forced to answer a question that I don't know how to answer. We are both being honest towards each other, so it is only fair that I continue to respect that. I look him in the eyes, anguish written across my face. I know that I am about to hurt him, but he deserves to know the truth.

"No, it wasn't all a strategy." I answer softly.

There is pain in his eyes and I know that I am the cause. "I didn't think it was." He looks down. I follow his eye line to a knot in the wood of the table.

I watch as he picks at it with his index finger for a few moments before starting again. "I'm not sure what I feel for Peeta, but it wasn't all a lie. I…"

Gale cuts in, hastily. "What do you feel for me?" His face desperate.

I continue to stare at the knot in wood, then meeting his eyes I answer. "I care for you, Gale. Maybe I even love you. But it isn't the same as the love that you feel for me."

My eyes dart away as soon as I've spoken the words. I can't look at him now. I can't see the look in his eyes having just dashed any hopes that he may have had, about us having that kind of future together.

The pressure in the kitchen feels as though it could explode at any moment. Time drags by slowly, until Gale's voice breaks the silence. "Though I wish it was me. I do think that you feel something for Peeta. You are just too scared or proud to admit it."

He continues to pick at the table as he speaks. "And he is good for you. He brings out things in you that no one else has ever been able too. At least he could, before the Capitol hijacked him. But from what little I've heard about him since the Capitol fell. I'm sure he still can."

I look up at him as he finishes, trying to keep the tears at bay. I know if I speak I won't be able to stop them. I bite my bottom lip, tasting blood in mouth and shake my head. Gale gives me a half hearted smile, shrugging.

"Well I better head back and check in before they send someone looking for me. I doubt I'll have time to come back by before I am to return to District 2. I'll send word next time I am going to here." He stands and starts for the door, stopping just inside the kitchen. He turns towards me; I look up to see him smile.

"Goodbye, Catnip." He sighs.

"Goodbye Gale." I answer. He turns again for the door. I hear his heavy boots echo down the hallway and the heavy front door latch into place.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning it began to rain, at first just a gloomy drizzle, but by the afternoon it began to pour and continue for three days. I was forced to stay inside; the possibility to go hunting was out of the question. Luckily the train of supplies that had been delayed arrived that morning.

The only person I saw was Greasy Sae, as she came each morning and night to make my meals. She had a little news from the train, of how progress in other districts was going, but she never mentioned or asked anything about Gale.

I spent most of my time in and out of sleep. The thunder and lightning only seemed to encourage my nightmares. Each time I slept I relived the brutality and carnage I experienced in the arenas. Sometimes the details were exact or how I had perceived them to be, like the hallucinations from my tracker jacker stings, but other times my unconsciousness added elements even worse than what the reality had been. I would startle awake, sometimes screaming, and lie in a ball, trying to block out the memories, but failing.

By the afternoon of the third day, I was beginning to go a little stir crazy and had to get out of the house. I thought about going to see Peeta, though no matter how much I wanted to see him, I couldn't gather the courage. So instead I decide to go to check on Haymitch. It has been weeks since I've seen him, even outside his house from a distance.

I pull on my hunting jacket, clutching it close to me as I run across the lawn and up onto Haymitch's porch. There is bucket of rainwater at the edge of the porch, overflowing on one side. I don't bother knocking and push the door open. As I close the door, the stench of filth engulfs me.

I trudge back to the kitchen, the smell worsens. I pull my black t-shirt over my nose and mouth attempting to lessen the smell. But it does little to help. My eyes begin to burn. I run over to the window and yank it open, inhaling deeply. Then I run across the room and yank that window as well. The breeze blows the rain in the first window, but pushes the odor out the second.

I survey the damage. There are pots, pans and dishes covering the counters, with what looks like it was once food on them. Now there is just fuzzy green and white mold growing all over them. Dirty laundry is scattered on the backs and seats of every chair. At least he is changing his clothes. And of course the table and floor is scattered with empty liquor bottles.

Haymitch is usually passed out in his chair at the table, but today he is nowhere to be seen. "I guess even he couldn't pass out in this mess." I say to myself.

I cross the room heading for the stairs; I hear a hissing from under the table. I bend over to find Buttercup, his back curved defensively, all the hairs standing on end. When he sees me he relaxes a bit, hisses and runs off into the destruction. I smile, "Nice to see you too."

I turn once again and stomp up the stairs, hoping it wakes up Haymitch. His bedroom door is hanging halfway into the hallway, held in place by only the top hinge. I push the door back into its frame and enter the room stepping over piles of trash and empty bottles as I go. Haymitch is sprawled half on the bed, a knife in one hand and a half empty bottle in the other.

"Ugh." I groan. "Haymitch! Haymitch get up!" I yell as I kick his boot. He grunts and mumbles curses inaudibly. "Haymitch!" I yell louder, but still no response to indicate he is actually waking. "Fine. You leave me no choice." I mutter at his back.

I stomp back down the stairs and out the front door. I grab the bucket of rainwater off the porch, carrying it with me back up the stairs to Haymitch's room. Water sloshes onto the floor as I go, but I don't care. It can only help this disaster area.

I reach the edge of the bed; take a few steps back, getting out of his reach. Kicking piles of garbage and bottles out of my way. "Haymitch! This is your last warning!" I shout at him. Still no response. I take another step back just to be sure. Then I lift up the bucket and chuck the rainwater, aiming directly at his head.

Immediately, Haymitch shoots out of bed, his scraggly blond hair stuck to his face. He is swinging the knife in all directions, attempting to make contact with anything solid while screaming profanities at the top of his lungs.

Once he stops flailing around, he steadies himself, clutching onto the foot post of the bed. I set down the bucket. The sound alerts him to my presence and he cocks his head in my direction. Seeing my face please with the effect of my actions, he growls. "What do you want?"

"This place is disgusting." I respond.

Haymitch stands there, leaning against the foot post for a few seconds, glaring at me as the rainwater drips from his hair onto the wood floor.

"If you don't like it sweetheart; feel free to leave. I don't recall inviting you in to begin with." Haymitch snarls. He attempts to push his matted hair out of his face as he stands up straight, but is forced to abort or risk stumbling into the night table.

I ignore his comment. "You should really hire someone to clean up after you because obviously you're incapable of doing it yourself." I retort looking around the room at the chaos we are surrounded by.

"I'll get right on that for you." He answers as he takes a swig from the bottle he had been holding and wipes his mouth on his sleeve.

"Never mind. I'll find someone for you. Otherwise you'll die in here of some new disease you've got growing in your kitchen." I reply.

Haymitch stares at the floor, ignoring me as his body sways drunkenly. "Whatever you say. But, now that we have all the niceties out of the way. I'll repeat. What do you want?" He asks. He attempts to stand up straight again, this time more successful.

Why had I come here? If I tell him the truth, that I was lonely, he'll just use it against me for eternity. "I hadn't seen you in weeks. I thought I should make sure you weren't rotting away in here. Taking up a perfectly good house that someone else could use." I answer, but looking around the room I add, "Well not perfect, but it is better than what a lot of people have."

"Well, as you can see, in spite of you, I am still breathing. Sorry to get your hopes up." Haymitch grunts. He staggers towards me, nearly knocking me over as he passes. The smell of body odor and liquor encompasses me. "Excuse me." He sneers.

I follow him out of the room and into hallway. His current disdain for me has me contemplating pushing him down the stairs, but I decide against it. He enters the kitchen, pulls out the only chair at the table without clothing piled on it and plops himself down. He guzzles the last of the bottle he'd been carrying and tosses it into the pile in the corner and beings searching the bottles on the table for one that has any of the liquid left.

I just stand in the entryway, leaning against the doorframe, watching him grunt and curse until he discovers they are all empty. He looks up at me, his attitude greatly improved. "You didn't happen to bring me any did you?" He asks as he flutters his eyelashes at me.

"No." I purse me lips. "But I still have a bottle that you left at my house months ago." I pause surveying the kitchen again. "Agree to let me get you a housekeeper and to go take a shower and I'll go get it." I purpose with a slightly evil smile.

"Fine." He answers and braces himself with both hands on the table before standing. I step back to let him through and he begins trudging up the stairs. I wait to hear the water running before I turn for the door, when I hear his voice from the top of the stairs. "Take that stupid cat with you or I'm going to boil it for dinner." He yells.

I turn for the door, leaving Buttercup behind, just to annoy him. Better here annoying Haymitch than him at my house hissing at me. I know he won't kill it. Though he always acts with contempt towards everyone, I know that he had a soft spot for Prim, just like everyone else and would never do anything to harm her cat.

I step out on to the porch and examine the rain. It has let up a bit since I came over, but the wind has picked up a bit and even the roof of the porch is incapable of providing cover from the wet gusts. I glance over towards Peeta's house. The light in his painting room is on and I see his silhouette blocking out most of the light. We make eye contact for a moment and I give him a curt nod before jumping off the porch and sloshing through the rain to my house.


	7. Chapter 7

I push back through Haymitch's front door. It's still unlocked, he must really want this bottle otherwise he would have locked it, preventing my easy reentry. I push the door close behind me with my foot and enter the kitchen. The smell is improved from the open windows, but the wind is causing a puddle to form inside the base of one. I hear Haymitch upstairs, growling something I can't understand. I no longer hear the water running, so hopefully he actually showered and didn't just wait for me to leave and turn the water off.

I slowly push back some of the empty bottles with the edge of the plate of food I brought over. There is no telling how long it has been since Haymitch ate last. I pick up a hunk of beef leftover from dinner last night and toss it in front of Buttercup. He quickly pounces on it and begins gnawing away at the tough skin.

The sound of Haymitch's boots tramping down the stairs ricochets throughout the house. He enters the kitchen, wearing different shirt and pants than he had been wearing, but they are far from clean. His hair is wet and tucked behind his ears, but I can't tell if it is from the rainwater I dumped on him.

He is walking straighter than earlier, but there is still and uneasiness to his gait. Again he sits in the only chair free of clothing, but this time instead of perusing the bottles in front of him, he swoops them onto the floor with the swing of his arm. He examines the addition to the mess and looks up at me with a satisfied smile across his face. "Where's my bottle?" He asks.

I decided to have a little fun at his expense. "You just shoved it on to the floor." I answer. His eyes go wide as if I had just shot an arrow through his heart. Jumps from his chair he begins tossing each bottle away looking for one holding his liquor bottle. Upon reaching to bottom of the pile and having no luck finding it, his head jerks towards me. I give him a half cocked smile and step towards him with the bottle I'd had in my hand the entire time.

He rips it from my grasp as if it were some life saving medicine and surveys how much is there. "I bet you are pleased with yourself. Looking down at me from your pedestal." He snarls.

I ignore his comment, and place the plate of food on the table in front of him. "At least eat this before you drink yourself to death. I've got enough on my conscious. I refuse to add aiding you in your death to the list." I complain. He pokes the carrots and potatoes with his finger before finding a radish that is to his liking.

I carefully pick a pile of dirty laundry up from one of the kitchen chairs, tossing it to the floor. I pull the chair out from the table and sit down. I watch Haymitch pick through his food in between taking swigs of his bottle.

"You're going to have to clean that up." He smirks, pointing to the pile of laundry with his fork. I pay no attention to him.

Once he is done eating, he wipes his mouth with his sleeve, removing bits of food that had been caught in his stubble. "Have you heard any news from the Capitol?" I ask in a feeble attempt at conversation.

"Nothing that you probably haven't heard already. Paylor's putting people to work digging out the Nut in District 2, trying to see if there is anything salvageable. I haven't seen anyone in about a week. Peeta was here a few days ago, I found a loaf of his bread on the table when I woke up." Haymitch answers. "Oh, but that new mayor offered me job." Haymitch chuckles.

"A job? Doing what? Keeping the local taverns afloat?" I joke.

"One could only hope." He takes another swig from his bottle and wipes his mouth on his sleeve again. "No, he wanted me to oversee the plowing and planting of the new fields. But I just told him I don't know anything about that stuff and that I'm not really built for work and…" Haymitch continues to ramble on about why he shouldn't or can't take the job.

I just shake my head occasionally, focusing more on trying to decipher how anyone can live in this confusion than actually listening to what he is saying. The drunken tangent is cut off by an abrupt knock at the front door.

Haymitch smiles, "Peeta must be checking to make sure you aren't here to kill me." I don't answer, but purse my lips and glare at him. He chuckles and yells in the direction of the door, "Its open!"

I hear the scrape of the door, a momentary silence, then the door close and a set of feet on the hardwood heading towards us. The stride is too light to be Peeta, so I turn towards the sound and see a woman in a grey jumpsuit standing in the doorway, disgusted by her surroundings.

"Haymitch, I've got a message for Katniss. Could you see that she gets it?" The lady chokes out finally.

"No need. She is right there." Haymitch answers as he points to me with the bottle and takes another drink.

"Ah, yes, Miss Everdeen." Her accent is unmistakable; she must have been one of the rebels inside the Capitol. "I have a message for you from President Paylor. You are to report to the administration tent tomorrow morning, at 8:00, to speak with her." I can tell she is trying not to gag.

"She is going to be here?" I question. It sounds odd that she would waste her time traveling all the way out here when there isn't anything or really anyone here that could require her notice yet. The workers have gotten most of the rubble cleared away, but with this rain I'm sure that they are falling behind schedule or are going to be delayed.

"No. She is in District 7, but there will be a video conferencing system set up so that she can see and speak to you. In private of course." She replies.

"Oh…okay. I'll be there." I stutter out. As the woman nods, she turns and tries to resist the urge to run out of the house.

Immediately my mind goes to Coin. How I shot her with that arrow instead of Snow that night. The tribunal confined me to District 12 stating that I was mentally incompetent and that was the last that I had heard of it. I have been back in 12 for months without any contact, so I assumed that was the end of it.

Haymitch is watching me as I think this through so I attempt to keep my face calm and show no signs of my emotions. Eventually he speaks, "They aren't going to kill you."

His statement shocks me. "How do you know that?" I ask.

"Truthfully, I don't. I just don't think that Paylor would go through the trouble of telling you herself. She has too many other things to concern herself with, then you." He snorts.

Condescending as he is, it does make sense. It is more likely that some nobody from the Mockingjay force would just show up one day and haul me away. I relax a little. "Yeah you are probably right."

We sit in silence for a few minutes, both lost in our own thoughts, until finally I decide to go home. Greasy Sae should be there and I don't want her food to get cold waiting on me.

I leave Haymitch, muttering something about going into town to find more alcohol, and step out onto the porch. The rain has stopped, which makes sense being that the Capitol woman was dry when she entered. I peer through the darkness towards Peeta's house; I can see the light from his kitchen reflecting across the hall into his living room. He must be making dinner. I consider going to see him. I haven't really seen him since that night in my kitchen; this realization causes a pain in my chest. I decide against going to see him, at least until after I talk to Paylor tomorrow, maybe then I can, but for a sufficient reason.

I step off Haymitch's porch and slog for my house, making an effort to jump the many puddles that have accumulated. As I climb my porch I have the eerie feeling that I am being watched. Reaching my front door and I again look towards Peeta's house. This time I see his silhouette watching me through the window. I raise my hand and give him a shy wave and enter the house.


	8. Chapter 8

The mud is thick as I make my way to the administration tent. The three days of continuous rain has left the once dirt road, leading from Victor's Village to town, a muddy channel. I ignore the puddles, there are too many to count and no way to avoid them.

I had awoken just before dawn, my hands clutching at my neck, gasping for air. This time my nightmare was Peeta. He was choking me in the District 13 hospital after being rescued from the Capitol, revealing the extent of what they had done to him. I pushed the memories to the back of my mind.

As I enter what was once the courtyard of the Justice building, I glance down the road. The foundation of the new factory has been laid and the construction workers, who have been delayed because of the heavy rain, are now delayed even further. Forced to heave buckets of water out of what will become the factory's basement.

As I reach the administration tent, I can see a bustle of activity. People are coming in and out of the larger tent and entering additional tents set up on either side. I pay no attention to the thick mud that coats my boots before entering, after seeing many of the workers in a worse condition than I. I step inside looking for a recognizable face. None of these people are familiar, just a mix of citizens from all the Districts, not just from 12.

There is a table set up near the front of the tent with a young man sitting behind it. He has a tan complexion, which reminds me of Finnick, so he must be from District 4. I step up to his table as he looks up at me. "Katniss Everdeen! Good morning! It's great to meet you!" His over exuberance is a bit annoying. "Are you here for your video conference with President Paylor?"

"Yes," I answer curtly.

"Well, excellent!" He exclaims as he stands and motions me to follow him. "I was in the square watching the last Hunger Games when you shot out the force field. I was so giddy with excitement, I actually squealed. Well that was before the abruptly ended broadcast and the Peacekeepers got violent because of the riot that ensued. But you know how things were. You are the Mockingjay! I can't wait to tell…"

I stop listening at the word Mockingjay to prevent myself from going violent on him. He continues chattering nonsense as he leads me through the large tent. Desks have been set up throughout. People continue to shuffle from one end of the tent to the other, just as they had outside.

The chattering young man brings me to the back of the tent where a privacy wall has been constructed. He motions me inside. There is a large table surrounded by chairs and a large screen set up in the corner. "President Paylor will be with you shortly. I'll alert her to your presence." The young man declares, then turns and scurries off giggling to himself.

I pull out the chair at the head of the table and sit. I survey the room. The walls are bare except for a map of Panem on the wall behind me. I sit there staring at the blankness until a flicker from the screen catches my eye. I as I turn my attention towards it I hear the voice of the giddy young man, "Katniss Everdeen, President Paylor".

Just then the screen comes to life and I see Paylor sitting in a room much like my own, but instead of blank walls, they are covered in long sheets of paper, all with some sort of seal at the top. "Miss Everdeen, can you hear me?" I hear Paylor's voice emanate from the screen.

"Yes…uh…ma'am" I respond, not sure how to address her.

She apparently picks up on this. "Just call my Paylor." She smiles and continues. "I called you here today Katniss to relay a series of events that has occurred since you left the Capitol." She pauses, waiting for me to respond, but I just nod.

She realizes I do not plan to respond and continues, "After your assassination of President Coin, many of the government rebels were infuriated with you. But Plutarch came to your aid and prevented anything dire from happening to you. This is how you came to be where you are now. Confined to District 12."

I already knew this, but I answer her anyway. "I understand."

"Well, soon after you departure, I moved into former President Coin's quarters. As I was sorting through her documents I discovered some questionable information." She pauses to let that sink in. "From this information, an investigation was begun and revealed some disturbing details. It appears that President Coin and some of her upper command had no intention of changing the government that existed before the rebellion. It appears that her intention was to overthrow Snow and his cohorts, only to take over the power for herself."

At this I begin to shaking my head in agreement. This takes Paylor off guard, "Did you know this?" she asks.

I clear my throat, "No, I did not, but with this news some of Coin's actions make much more sense to me now." I answer.

"Well as you can gather, your assassination of Coin has prevent the continued suffering for the people of Panem. Though this may have not been your intention, it is the result of your actions. And because of this, the tribunal has made the decision to release you from your confinement to District 12, on two conditions."

At this a knot begins to form in my chest, conditions haven't necessarily worked out in my favor in the past. "What are the conditions?" I ask.

"First, you are not to speak publically about what I have told you here today. The country is in a very fragile state and if word of what Coin had been planning were to be released, it could cause a disastrous uproar. For years we have been fed lies by the Capitol about the other districts, so learning to trust one another is not coming easy to some." Paylor responds.

"Okay. I can understand that. What is the second condition?" I question.

"The second condition requires that you continue your treatment with Dr. Aurelius and until he deems you fit. Until then you are only allowed to travel outside 12 with his permission. Upon completion, you will be allowed to travel between the Districts, just as any citizen is allowed."

The idea of actually having to speak with Dr. Aurelius is a little annoying, but both conditions are something that I can live with. "I agree." I answer. "But I have a question."

"Go ahead." She responds.

"Are you continuing the Hunger Games as Coin had intended?" I question.

"No. Of course not. I did come across some of her paperwork discussing the continuation of the Games. And I am aware that she came to you and the other living Victors to discuss this continuation. While I don't know what was said during that meeting, I do know that she only planned it as a formality and was planning to reinstate the Games no matter what your decision had been."

I cut her off, "Using only children from the Capitol?"

"I am afraid not. She planned to include children from all the Districts. I don't understand her logic, nor do I want to, but rest assured Katniss, the Hunger Games will no longer haunt the children of Panem." Paylor remarks, judging my reaction.

I shake my head in agreement, but do not say anything. Eventually, she continues, "Well in light of your service and the sacrifices that yourself and the remaining Hunger Games Victors have made, it is my decision to continue to pay the living Hunger Games Victors a government salary. Regretfully, we cannot afford to maintain the same salary that you received prior to the rebellion, but I am sure that you will find that the new salary will be more than enough for you to live comfortably in the new economy. I and your countrymen owe you debt of gratitude, though they may not know it. Good day, Miss Everdeen."

Paylor nods and the screen flickers black again before I can thank her. I stand and leave the room. The giddy young man is outside the room, waiting for me and looks as though his pants are on fire with as much bouncing around as he does. He begins to speak, but I raise my hand to cut him off as I walk past him and aim for the exit.


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks to everyone who has been enjoying my story. I really tried to stay true to the series and the characters and I am glad that many of you feel that I have been successful.**

I leave the tent and begin towards Victor's Village. I see a young woman struggling to drag a cart of packages behind her. She looks up from her toil, sweat beads covering her brow and observes me exiting the administration tent. She immediately calls my name, "Katniss, hey!" I recognize her instantly, Delly Cartwright. I haven't seen her since her sessions with Peeta back in 13.

"Hi Delly! What are you doing here?" I smile. I am genuinely happy to see her. She looks much the same, maybe a few pounds heavier, but when you are talking about people who lived in the Seam, that's not a bad thing.

"I am working for the government. There isn't much of a school system in most places so they are focusing on young children and putting people our age to work. On the job training, they call it. It's great. I'm working in the supply system, mostly delivering packages, but I get to travel to all the Districts. I've only been assigned here for a month and I've already been to, well 13 and 12 of course, but also to Districts 11, 8, 7 and 4. Next we are headed to 10. I'm so excited!" Delly can always find the best in things.

"I'm glad you are enjoying your work." I answer.

"Have you talked to Gale? I heard he got a really good job training the new law enforcement force. Of course he'd be great at that, so strong and smart, plus he was in actual battle, so he's got some experience." Delly exclaims.

"Yeah, I've talked to him." I leave it at that.

"Oh, well, actually can I ask you favor?" She questions.

"Sure, Delly." She is so complimentary it's hard to refuse her.

"It just with all this rain, which we desperately needed, the mud is so think that I've had a hard time pulling this cart up here from the station. I've got to deliver all these packages and get back or I'll put us behind schedule. And I've got this little package here…" She says as she pulls a small package the size of a book off the stack, "that I'm supposed to deliver to Peeta, but like I said, I'm running behind and…" She seems nervous, but I can understand. She was working with the doctors in 13 to try and deprogram Peeta from the hijack that the Capitol put on him to kill me.

"It's no problem, Delly. I can see that he gets it." I cut in.

"Thanks so much, Katniss! You have always been so sweet. I would really like to see Peeta, but with time constraints I just don't think it is possible. Please send him my best."

"No problem, Delly." I say as affectionately as I can.

"Well I hate to just run off on you, but I've really got to get back to work. But the next time I'm here and I've got some time. I'll stop by." Delly declares.

"Sure thing, Delly. See you soon." I respond. She turns back to her cart and again begins yanking it towards the administration tent.


	10. Chapter 10

Once again, I start back to Victor's Village, carrying Peeta's package. Debating if I should go straight there or give it a little time to be sure he is awake. Upon reaching the collection of houses in Victor's Village, I decide to go directly there. Now is as good of a time as any.

I climb the first step and notice the amount of mud caked to my boots. I stop there straining to sling and stomp off as much as possible before stepping onto his porch. Suddenly the door swings open, Peeta is standing there, his shirt only buttoned half way up and not tucked in. He isn't wearing his boots, but he appears to have been awake.

"Sorry." I apologize. "I was trying to clean some of the mud off my boots. I didn't want to track it all over your porch." I give him a shy smile as I hold up the package. "I had to go into town and I ran into Delly Cartwright…" I begin explaining.

Peeta gives me an appreciative smile and cutting me off, waves me inside. "Come in. Just take your boots off." He says as he turns and heads back into the house.

I sit down on the top step, set the package next to me and unlace my boots. I slide them off carefully trying not to get any of the mud on myself and set them on the edge of the porch next to the railing. I pick up the package and go in the house. I take a deep breath and exhale slowly as close the door behind me, tucking Peeta's package under my arm.

I follow the sound of dishes knocking together into the kitchen to find Peeta cleaning his breakfast dishes from the table. The flour jar is out and I can smell bread baking in the oven. Peeta places the dishes in the sink and runs water over them to soak and wait to be washed later. He turns back towards me as I enter further into the room and stand behind the chair closest to the door.

He smiles at me again and motions for me to sit as he takes the seat at the end of the table opposite of me. "Now what were you saying. You were so startled that I couldn't understand you."

The sound of his voice is comforting. It isn't the same cold tone that he had been using on previous occasions since his return. I take the chair to his left, emboldened by his more pleasing attitude. "Sorry. You just took me by surprise. I was worried that you might still be asleep and when you yanked open the door, it took me by surprise." I pause for a moment, meeting his eyes. His warm gaze causes me to relax further.

"I was just saying that I had been up to the administration tent and I ran into Delly Cartwright. She is working for the government in the supply system. And she had this package to deliver to you, but with all the mud, she was running behind and asked if I could bring it to you." At this I hand him the package.

Peeta looks down at the package a little puzzled, but as he takes it from my hands something seems to click in his head and he begins to shudder with excitement as he rips open the side of the box. He turns the box sideways and out slides a small white rectangle. He sets the outer box on the table as he looks up at me. My brow is furrowed together, mystified as to what could this little white rectangle hold that has him so excited.

"Do you know what these are?" He asks excitedly.

"No." I answer still confused. Peeta opens the small box and pulls out a stack of thick paper in the same rectangle shape as the box. The top sheet of paper has a symbol on it that I have never seen before and the letter A clearly marked in two of the corners diagonal from one another. "What is it?" I question.

Peeta begins flipping through the stack as begins. "While I was in the hospital, after being rescued from the Capitol; I started to get very bored. One day Dr. Aurelius brought a set of these in. They are playing cards. You use them to play games. Dr. Aurelius showed me a game that I could play with these by myself to help pass the time. He also showed me a few other games that you can play with other people. When he would come in to talk to me we would play." He explains with a smile of honest joy that I can't remember seeing since we were announced victors in our first arena.

Peeta meets my eyes again. "Dr. Aurelius called yesterday. I told him that the rain was keeping me indoors and I was bored with painting. So I assume that he must have sent them." Peeta looks back down at the deck and slides them back into their box. He stares at the box for a few moments, memories flooding his thoughts as his pleasant appearance begins to fade.

I open my mouth, desperately trying to think of something to say to stop Peeta from reverting to the cold tempered person he has been lately. I think of the bread in the oven. "Should you check the bread?"

This snaps him from his trance; he drops the deck of cards on the table as he hurriedly scoots back. He grabs an old dishcloth from the counter, pulls open the stove and snatches the loaf pan. He examines it and exhales slowly, "Thanks for reminding me. Another minute and it would have burned." Peeta sets the loaf pan on top of the stove to cool and turns back to me. While the smile is gone from his face, he has not reverted to his cold demeanor.

Peeta moves to sit next to me at the table again. "Why did you have to go to the administration tent?" He pauses, "If you don't mind my asking, that is?"

I smile. It's nice to see him trying to be friendly again. "I don't mind. Paylor wanted to speak to me."

Peeta's eyes go wide. I can tell that he instantly expects the worst. But who can blame him with everything we've been through; it is hard to have an optimistic outlook on things as Delly does. "No, it is nothing bad. She just wanted to inform me of some events that had taken place in the Capitol."

I explain to him about Coin's intentions to only replace Snow and continue the Hunger Games. The shock and horror of the information is clear in the expression on his face. Once I finish he asks "Is that why you shot Coin instead of Snow that night?"

I pause thinking his request over. "I guess, yes and no. I didn't know her exact plans, but I always knew there was something about her that wasn't as she was making herself out to be. Then that night she called the Victor's together and asked our opinion about continuing the Hunger Games. It just didn't make sense to me that she would ask us. Shouldn't such a controversial decision as that be at the discretion of the whole country, not just us? It was then that I realized Snow was telling the truth that day in his rose garden…"

Peeta cuts in abruptly, "Wait, what? When did you talk to Snow?" he questions anxiously.

"It was earlier that same day. I had spent most of the day hiding in a window seat behind a painted screen. Heading back to my room I made a wrong turn and came across the strong scent of roses and followed them. The scent led me to where they were holding President Snow. Paylor was there and got me access. I found him sitting in a rose garden, surrounded by bushes of white roses. The same type as he had always wore in his lapel. He told me about how it was Coin, not him that released the bombs that murdered all of those kids, including Prim."

I swallow hard, thinking of her, and continue, "Then he explained Coin's plan to take over Panem. To incite each of the Districts to turn against the Capitol; then swoop in at the last minute to take over. He believed that Coin used me as a decoy, to take the attention off of herself and her intensions."

I look over at Peeta. He is turning the deck of cards over in his hands as he lets what I am saying process. I begin again. "At the time, I refused to believe what Snow was saying, but then standing there in front of all Panem, staring at a man who was already dying. I knew that the greater threat to me was no longer him, but Coin. That's when I chose to kill her instead."

As I finish, Peeta takes a deep breath and releases it. Looking down at his hands turning over the deck of cards, he starts. "I really don't know what to say." He sighs and gives me a nervous smile. "I guess I really shouldn't be surprised."

We sit in silence for a few moments, both watching him turning over the deck in his hands. "But I do have some good news; well I guess it is good news." I counter.

"What's that?" He asks.

"Paylor said that there wasn't going to be anymore Hunger Games, but that the living Victor's would still receive a government salary, just not as much as it was." I tell him.

"I guess that's good. About the money. But I am more relieved that there won't be any more Hunger Games. No one deserves to go through that, especially children." Peeta looks past me for a moment; I can tell he wants to ask me something. "Why did you vote yes when Coin proposed continuing the Hunger Games? Was it because you really thought that they should continue?" His eyes meet mine, they are pleading.

"I didn't really think about my answer. Because I knew that it wouldn't matter. Coin was going to do whatever she wanted, no matter what we said. She was only trying to make it look like it was our choice. Paylor admitted as much." I hoped that this answer would comfort him.

"Well that's a relief. Is that all that Paylor wanted you for?" He inquires.

"Well that and the conditions of my release of confinement to 12. She says that I am not allowed to speak publically about Coin's deception, for fear of the potential problems it could cause should the information get out. And second, I have to continue treatment with Dr. Aurelius."

At this Peeta meets my eyes. "Does this mean that you are actually going to answer the phone when he calls?'

I return his glaze, smiling. "Maybe."

We sit there at his table discussing the previous storm and the amount of mud that it has caused. After a few minutes of silence I decide to go. "Well I guess I interrupted you when I showed up. So I'll let you get back to your day."

I swing my legs out from under the table and begin to stand. At the same time Peeta has done the same, resulting in us standing directly in front of each other. Our faces and bodies only inches apart; I feel as though I am being pulled to him. My heart begins to race at his closeness. Our eyes lock, there is a desperate need to touch him flaring up from my chest. I begin to raise my hand from my side, but just as my hand begins to brush his cheek, Peeta quickly turns away, breaking our connection.

He stands with his back facing me; I look away from him towards the floor. I am breathing quickly and I feel my heart beating in my head. He walks towards the stove and begins easing the bread from the loaf pan. Talking over his shoulder, he breaks the silence. "I am going to go into town to pick up a few things, do you need anything?"

My head is all cloudy. I take a deep breath to try and calm myself. "No, I'm good." I manage to croak out. "Thank you though." Inside my answer is something else entirely. "I'll see you later, Peeta."


	11. Chapter 11

I kick off my boots as I enter my house. I hadn't bothered tying them when I left Peeta's. I was too desperate to be alone in my house.

I cross to the couch in my living room and throw myself onto it. Tears had begun forming in the corner of my eyes as I crossed the road to my house. I bury my face in the pillows; no longer able to keep the tears at bay.

What is my problem? Why can't I just decide what I want? I am only causing us both pain.

I lie on my couch, sobbing into the cushions until late afternoon. I am ashamed of my weakness. Why is it that I can face an onslaught of genetically altered mutts, but the thought of admitting my feelings to another person paralyzes me?

Once I finally control my crying, I sit up on the couch and stare at the wall. I contemplate going over to annoy Haymitch again, but decide against it. As I begin to think of other possibilities, I hear the kitchen door open and close. Greasy Sae begins whistling in the kitchen.

I stand and follow the sound to the doorway. "Hi Sae" I say as I sit at the table.

"Hey there, Katniss. I hear you got some good news today." She answers as she turns towards me and smiles. Her smile slowly fades as she sees my face. My hair is a mess and my eyes are puffing and red, but she ignores it and continues. "Are you going to use your new freedom to go visit your mother?"

"No, at least not right now." I answer.

Greasy Sae and I continue to talk nonsense while she makes my dinner. We discuss the weather, the amount of mud and news that she heard about the developments in other districts.

She has just finished telling me about the success they've been having cleaning up the avalanche at the Nut in District 2 when she finishes dinner and places the plate in front of me. "Well I've got to get back to the grandkids. Ophelia was running a fever this morning and I haven't had a second to go check on her today." Sae explains.

"It is okay, Sae. I can clean up." I respond. She just smiles, nods and heads towards the back door. I dig into my dinner. I was too anxious this morning to eat and too upset this afternoon. The back door shuts behind Sae and I sit in the quiet, slowly chewing my food.

I finish my dinner and take the plate to the sink and begin running the water over the dirty dishes, when I hear a knock at the door. I pull my hands out of the hot water and grab the dishcloth off the counter, drying my hands as I head for the door.

I toss the dish cloth across my shoulder and I open the heavy wood door. The sun is setting and I see a dark silhouette on the porch. Peeta turns slowly to face me, in his hands he is holding a plate covered with one of his dishcloths.

I'm a shocked to see him again today, but then remembering how I must look; the messy hair, red and puffy eyes. A wave of uneasiness swells up inside me. I clear my throat of the lump collecting there and stammer. "Hey Peeta."

He seems a little startled at my appearance. "Good evening, Katniss." He looks at me curiously. "While I was in town picking up a few things, I got the ingredients and made these for you." He says as he pulls the cloth off the plate to reveal half a dozen cheese buns. My favorite.

A wave of joy hits me and I manage a smile. "Thanks, Peeta." I take the plate from him and motion to come in. Peeta starts to step forward, but stops suddenly looking down at his boots. I instantly fear that he is deciding against my invitation. But instead of turning away, he bends over and begins unlacing his boots.

Peeta follows me back towards the kitchen. I set the plate of cheese buns on the table and start towards the stove, asking over my shoulder. "Have you had dinner yet? I have just finished, but I'm sure I can find something for you if you are hungry."

"No, I've eaten, but thanks." He answers as he pulls out a chair and sits down.

I pull the dishtowel off my shoulder and set it on the counter. I turn to face Peeta at the table and lean my back against the counter. "Aren't you going to have one?" Peeta questions.

I smile softly and walk towards the table, pulling out the chair in front of the plate of cheese buns, next to Peeta. I start to feel a nervous warmth envelope me, sitting this close to him again. I take one of the buns and pull a piece off, placing it in my mouth. Though they taste as wonderful as ever, the butterflies bouncing around my stomach threaten to push the bread back out as I swallow.

I keep my face as calm as I can. "These are delicious as ever, Peeta. Here eat some." I reach towards him holding the bun. He gingerly takes it from my hand; his hand brushing my fingers in the process,s causing a new set of butterflies to begin bouncing around.

Peeta tears the bun in half and offers a piece back to me. We sit there quietly watching each other nibble the cheese bun until it is gone. I rub my hands together, removing any crumbs as I swallow the last bite and smile. Though it didn't feel that way at first, the addition of the cheese bun to my stomach has managed to stifle most of the wiggling in my stomach.

After a few moments, Peeta sets his hands on the table and analyzes the room before meeting my glaze. "I wanted to ask you something when you came over earlier, but I wasn't sure if I should. But after talking to a few people in town, I decided to go ahead."

His speech puzzles me a bit. But I nod in compliance and he begins again. "A few days ago. Before it started raining. I saw Gale come here. I had seen you head out earlier that day, carrying your bow and quiver, but I wasn't sure if you had returned when he arrived. Then when you did get back, I noticed that it wasn't much longer before I saw Gale leave…" Peeta pauses, glancing away. I can tell that he is nervous.

I want so badly to comfort him, but no words come for me to say. Slowly without thinking, I lift my hand and reach towards him, laying my hand across his knuckles and reassuringly give him a gentle squeeze.

Peeta looks down at my hand touching his; a shy smile crosses his mouth. Then looking back towards my face; he gathers the last of his courage. "Did you work everything out between you? Are you together now?" He asks, his voice cracking a bit.

I slide my hand back as I lean against the back of my chair and cross my legs in the seat. I clear my throat as quietly as I can. "Yes, I think we did work out most of the issues between us." I pause slightly as he looks away, but I begin again quickly. "But no. Gale and I are not together and we never will be." At this I look away, scared what his reaction might be.

Peeta's eyes dart towards my face; trying to examine some detail that I haven't said. "Is it because of him? Or you?" I can see the glimmer of hope on his face from the corner of my eye.

"Because of me." I pause briefly, staring at my hands on the table. "And it isn't because I hold him responsible for Prim's death. Because I don't anymore. That was Coin. But it is because…" I trail off. I am anxious and nervous.

I glace over at Peeta. He is staring straight at me, grasping at every word I say. I feel the pressure mounting in my head; my heart is beating rapidly as though it will jump from my chest at any second. The butterflies are gone, but have been replaced by something much worse. I jump up suddenly, seriously considering running away to hide. Instead I turn away and facing the counter. I grab the edge to steady myself. I inhale deeply, closing my eyes.

I hear Peeta stand, taking a step towards me. "It is because of what Katniss?" His voice is shaky as if he isn't sure if I am battling myself to keep my emotions hidden or if I'm having some kind of seizure.

I know I have to answer him. I exhale slowly and turn to face him again. The words begin stream from my mouth uncontrollably. "It is because when he kisses me. I feel nothing. I don't feel a fire burning in my chest. I don't get anxious when I'm in a room with him. I don't…I don't love him." As I say this, the emotions I have kept inside for so long begin to rush out. Tears begin to run down my cheeks, my legs give out and I slide onto the floor.

Peeta looks down at me, finally broken. His eyes are soft and kind, like the boy I knew those nights on the train. He bends over and scoops me up off the floor and carries me up the stairs to my room. He lays me onto the bed; I curl up into his chest just as I had all of those nights. I lay there with him as he stokes my back calmingly as I close my eyes listening to the rhythmic beat of his heart. The quiet peacefulness I feel soon lulls me to sleep. But just before sleep overtakes me, Peeta gently kiss my hair and I feel as if things are finally falling into place.


	12. Chapter 12

I awake suddenly, grasping across the bed for him. "Peeta! Peeta!" I call out. No answer. I am I still asleep. I dreamt I was once again in the first arena, searching for Peeta after notification of the rule change. But instead of finding him hidden in the riverbed, there is only a puddle of blood.

I climb out of bed, the house is dark and I can see no sign of the sun. It is the middle of the night. "Peeta?" I call again. I cross towards the door. My head aches and I still feel the exhaustion from my emotional breakdown.

I pad down the stairs quickly, glancing back into the black kitchen before turning into the living room. "Peeta?" I ask the darkness. The glow of the lights on at Haymitch's house adds some illumination to the dark room. I navigate the living room to look out the window. I see the spare upstairs bedroom light on at Peeta's house. He went home.

A pang of hurt flares in my chest. Why was he there for me, but didn't stay? I sit on the floor in front of the window and pull my knees to my chest. I watch his shadow move across the window until the sky begins to lighten and I can no longer tell if he is there.

I stand slowly. My muscles ache from crouching at the window for so long. I trudge up the stairs to my bathroom at the end of the hall. I take my time showering, dressing and braiding my hair. By the time I am finished dawn has broken. I head down the stairs, slide on my hunting jacket and grabbing my bow and quiver from their hook near the kitchen door. I push open the door and enter the crisp morning air.

As I make my way towards the meadow, I glance towards Peeta's house. There are no longer any lights on; leading me to believe that he has finally gone to bed. I continue on towards town and the meadow. With construction on the factory delayed, workers have begun pulling down the old electric fence and replacing it with chain link.

As I slip under the fence, a worker notices me and motions to another pointing directly at me. The second worker then calls to me. "Hey! Hey you there!"

I attempt to ignore him, trying to reach the tree line quickly, but I hear his footfalls running along the inside of the fence. "Hey! Could you wait up a moment? Please." He asks.

I stop and turn to face him. He slides to a stop in front of my escape hole, breathless. "Oh, good. It is you." He says as he smiles and doubles over trying to catch his breath.

His pale skin, black hair and grey eyes indicate that he is from the Seam and he looks vaguely familiar, but I can't place him exactly. "Yes?" I ask a little roughly.

He smiles again. "Is this wear you usually cross into the forest?" He asks. His question catches me off guard. But I manage to stutter out in the affirmative.

"Okay, good. I was pretty sure this was the spot that Gale mentioned." As he says this I recognize him as, Thom, of the guys on Gale's crew from his days in the coal mine. "Bleu, the new mayor, has got us replacing the fence." He pauses for a moment, then quickly backtracking as not to alarm me. "Not to keep people in, but to keep unwanted animals out, you know." He points towards the woods indicating the wild animals within. "We've got half a dozen residents and refugees coming in each day, so safety has become a priority." He smiles. "Anyways, Bleu's got us putting in gates every so often to allow people in and out. And Gale told me that I should put one here so you can get to your hunting grounds more easily."

"Oh, well. Then yeah, I guess this is my spot." I motion toward the hole in the fence I had just exited through.

"Okay. Good. Should have the gate up in a few days for you then." He waits for a moment for me to respond before continuing. "Well I got to get back to work. See you around Katniss." He turns, jogs back to his coworkers and resumes replacing the fence.

I turn back towards the tree line and start for my snares, but finding them empty, except for a long dead rabbit. I decide to head for the lake to try fishing. It takes me longer than usual to reach the lake due to the water logged terrain. Though yesterday was dry and many of the standing puddles in town have soaked into the ground, the valley seems not to have fared as well.

I retrieve my pole from a crook in the tree and toss it into the water. I sit down to wait for a bite and begin nibbling on the wild strawberries and blackberries I had picked up along the way. The birds are singing happily, which causes a cramp of jealousy to erupt inside of me.

I sit there by the lake throughout the morning and into the afternoon. Catching fish and trying to block out any thoughts. After I pull in my sixth fish, I lazily throw my line back into the water and scan my surroundings. The green colors of the ferns and moss that grow around the glistening lake usually bring back good memories of my father and our time together here. Of him teaching me swim and hunt; memories of a calm happiness I am desperate to feel again. But today it only brings back the misery and loneliness I felt after his death.

Suddenly the hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention as I feel someone nearby. I catch movement out of the corner of my eye in the thick bushes behind me and whip my head to the right just in time to witness two squirrels fall out of the bushes, wrestling one another. Just as quickly as they plummeted to the ground, they become alert to my presence and scamper up a nearby tree.

I stare at the area where the squirrels had just appeared and catch a startling glimpse of color among the shades of emerald. I gradually place my pole on the ground, securing it with a rock and stand keeping my eyes locked on the golden hue. I take gradual steps towards the curious object and position myself directly overhead.

Among the thick shrubs and ferns, I discover a single yellow flower, a dandelion. I crouch towards the tiny plant as images begin to saturate my head. I am eleven years old again, soaked and starving. I have collapsed in the mud behind the bakery, beneath the old apple tree. A young boy emerges from the kitchen, a red welt across his cheek and throws me the loaves of scorched bread. Suddenly it's the following day; our eyes meet across the schoolyard. Ashamed I look towards the ground. And there sprouting from the earth that early spring afternoon, I find the hope that I needed to survive. The dandelion. Telling me both what I needed and wanted.

I pluck the golden flower and twirl it between my fingers as I return to my spot beside the lake. The realization aligns my head with what is true in my heart. And I know now what I must do.

I carefully place my ray of clarity in my left breast pocket directly over my heart. I reel in my line and return my pole to its hiding place in the tree. As I start back through the forest I sling the string of fish over my back, being watchful not to disturb the flower.


	13. Chapter 13

As I enter Victor's Village, after unloading my catch in town, I see Peeta outside. He stands near to his garden, admiring his hard work. I suddenly feel a twitch of anger with him for leaving me in the middle of the night like he did, it beckons me to ignore him, but my revelation is summoning me towards him. Against my better judgment I toss my bow and quiver on to the porch and veer toward him.

He doesn't hear me approaching until I am about twenty feet away. Turning to face me, he face looks defeated, as if he is expecting a battle between us after my breakdown last night and his disappearance in the night. My revelation at the lake forces me to throw caution to the wind and have it out with him right now.

"What happened to you last night?" I demand. My anger and hurt begin to boil over towards him. "I woke up in the middle of the night and you were gone?"

He is shocked by my annoyance, but it is quickly replaced by a look of fury. "I waited until I know you were asleep. Then I came home."

"I woke up last night" I repeated. "Expecting you to be there and you were gone…" I start, but Peeta now even more incensed, cuts me short.

"Don't place those expectations on me! You know how I feel about you. I have said it repeatedly. But have you ever said when it wasn't part of a strategy? When it was what you actually felt? I told you… I told you that I couldn't be there for you anymore. Not until you make up your mind one way or the other."

I stand there dumbfounded. I wasn't expecting him to be so ferocious, not with what I had come to say. Peeta watches me for a second before turning his back and marching into his house, slamming the door behind him. I stare at the closed door for a moment. I contemplate leaving, but instead I follow him.

He is standing in his kitchen, leaning over the table both hands resting on the back of a chair. He is breathing hard, his clenching his eyes shut. As the door swings shut behind me, his eyes dart towards me. Through the daggers, I see the tears he is attempting to push back.

I take a deep breath to calm myself. "Peeta." I plead calmly, trying a different tactic. "You know I'm no good at this." I pause; my emotions are fogging my thoughts. The sound of my level voice causes Peeta to relax slightly, his eyes begin to cool. "Last night, my heart was trying to tell you…to tell both of us…" My thoughts begin to get jumbled as I try to speak. "My heart was trying to tell the truth," I feel tears forming in my eyes. "But my head was still resisting."

Peeta's eyes begin to plead with me. I can feel his hope radiating off of him. "What is that truth, Katniss?" His voice cracks as he speaks.

A tear glides down my cheek, bursting on my left breast pocket containing the dandelion. "That I love you." I whisper.

Peeta slowly takes a step towards me. I can feel his eyes burning into my soul. "You love me?" He questions.

The tears begin streaming down my face uncontrollably. "I do, Peeta. I do." I answer through my sobs.

Peeta is instantly there, his hands cradling my face, his eyes locked on mine. I let out a half whimper, half sob as he presses his mouth to mine. I feel my chest start to flame up as I slide my arms around his waist, clutching him as if he could disappear at any moment. He releases my mouth and gives me a quick peck on my forehead before pulling my head against his chest and wrapping his arms around me.


	14. Chapter 14

Over the next few weeks, the last of the fire bomb debris is cleared. Citizens begin to return more rapidly and are put to work rebuilding the district. The fields are planted and cultivated, without the drunken help of Haymitch, and they produce more food than could ever be eaten.

Within a year, homes and businesses overtake what was once a barren wasteland. Now filled with a new optimism, children can grow up without fear that one day they may be sent into the arena to fight for their lives.

Gale finds success in his work training the Mockingjays and eventually becomes the officer in charge of the entire force. Though it takes some time, he eventually marries a woman from District 6, with whom he has a daughter named Primrose.

Katniss resumes her sessions with Dr. Aurelius after Peeta's constant insistence. She discloses her desire to commemorate those who found an early death within the arena's confines, possibly a book. The next week, Dr. Aurelius sends the box of paper and with the help of Peeta and Haymitch, there will at least be some remembrance of those children sent to an early grave.

Haymitch lives as he always has. Katniss and Peeta hire him a maid, who comes daily to feed him and prevent another decline into squalor. He never marries and spends most of his time alone; his only companions, the bottle and Buttercup.

Eventually Katniss is released from Dr. Aurelius's care and free of her confinement. It takes many months afterwards for her to visit her mother in District 4, but with Peeta there to comfort her she eventually does. Her mother visits as often as she can.

Katniss and Peeta spend the majority of their days together, remaining outside the public eye. Katniss continues to hunt, though the food is now unneeded. Peeta paints and as time passes his work takes on a less gruesome focus. Peeta teaches Katniss to play cards, which is how they spend every night together.

Katniss and Peeta continue to have nightmares and flashbacks of the horrors they endured. They become less frequent, but those nights they occur they are there to comfort one another.

The dandelion Katniss found that day at the lake sits on the mantle in their living room. A symbol reminding her that what she needs is the bright yellow of the spring, not fire and rage. It symbolizes the need for optimism that no matter what, all hope is not lost.

**Thanks to everyone who took the time to read my story. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**


End file.
